Keeping Secrets
by TVObssessedGirl28
Summary: Cal has told Ethan about their adoption, but what else is he not telling his brother? NOTE: It's mostly going to dialogue telling the story.
1. Chapter 1

"What do you mean we're adopted?" Ethan asks stepping away from Cal.

"I mean our mum wasn't our real mum."

Ethan shakes his head still not believing what he was hearing.

"No, you're lying."

"I wish I was, but I'm not." Cal replies attempting to get his brother to understand.

"No." Is all Ethan can say.

"Look, Eth, I know it's quite a lot to take in. I was shocked too when I found out, but I found her. I found our birth mum. Well, Charlie found her."

Cal realises what he's just said as soon as the words come out of his mouth. And the moment he hears them he immediately sees the confusion in his brother's eyes.

"Charlie?" Ethan asks again. "How does Charlie know?"

Cal looks guiltily to the ground before answering.

"How does Charlie know?" Ethan replies again more forcefully.

By the tone of his voice, Cal can tell he's angry. Now he knows Ethan is going to get even angrier.

"I told him." Cal finally answers.

"What?" Ethan says a bit shock. "You told him?"

"I did."

Cal steps towards Ethan but, he puts his hands up and Cal stops in his tracks.

"Wait, so you told Charlie instead of telling me?" Ethan says taking off his glasses.

He starts fiddling with them. He can't believe what has just happened. Yes, he's angry about finding out his mum isn't his real mum, but what makes him even angrier is the fact Cal has kept it from him. He's angry with Cal for thinking he felt like he could go to Charlie instead of him.

"I'm sorry, Ethan. I wanted to tell you, really I did. But, when I found out that my blood was different I was scared."

"Scared about what?"

"Scared that you weren't my real brother. That's why I couldn't tell you. Please, Eth, you have to believe me." Cal pleads.

"We could have figured out together. It didn't matter if you didn't think we were brothers. I would have been there to support you." Ethan cried.

"How could I tell you when I didn't have any answers? I knew the moment you found out you would ask questions. Questions I didn't have the answers to. That's why I told Charlie. I told Charlie that I needed to find out more before telling you."

"So what else are you not telling me?" Ethan inquires.

Cal feels his heart stop for a minute. Is this the right time to tell him about their birth mum's illness? Cal doesn't think so. Ethan is already shocked about the adoption, telling him about her condition will only make matters worse. So he decides not to tell him. Not yet anyway.

"Nothing, I swear." Hoping Ethan believes him.

Ethan seems to take his answer and nods. Cal smiles at him. He will tell Ethan eventually but, for now he'll leave him. Leave him to take in the news that they are adopted.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie finds Cal by the bar later that night after their shift has finished. Charlie orders the two of them a drink. Drinking a pint, Charlie sits down beside him.

"So you told him, then?" Charlie inquires.

"Yeah. I told him."

"And how did it go?"

"Good. Well, it went as I thought it did."

"So, are you going take him to see her?"

Cal shakes his head. Charlie looks at him a bit confused.

"Cal, if Ethan knows about the adoption, he should go and meet her."

"No, he can't."

"Why not?"

Cal sighs. He should tell Charlie, but then again he doesn't want to. Charlie will only tell him to tell Ethan. Suddenly, it clicks for Charlie.

"You haven't told him, have you? You have told him that she's got Huntington's."

Cal closes his eyes and sighs. He shakes his head.

"How can I, Charlie? How can I tell him that the woman, the woman who's really our mum has an incurable disease that she might have passed down to us?"

"Cal, you know…."

"Don't. There's a 50/50 chance that either me or Ethan has got it." Cal interrupts.

"There are no guarantees. You might not have inherited it."

"Or we might have."

"I would suggest you do a genetic testing if it will help put your mind at ease. But, before you do you need to tell Ethan."

Charlie's right. Ethan needs to know, he just needs to find the right time to tell him.

"Okay, I will. Just give me some time." Cal replies.

It's another day, another 10 hour shift and Cal steps into the department ready to treat patients. He's barely stepped through the doors when Noel hands him a file.

"Patient for you in cubicle 5. Asked Lily to take it before you arrived but, the patient insisted it was you." Noel told him before turning around.

"For me? Why?" Cal asks thinking he knew who the patient is.

Noel gives him a shrug and walks off. Cal takes a few moments to regain his composure before heading to cubicles. Cal reaches cubicle 5 and draws the curtain. Just as he expected he recognised the patient.

"Emilie, what are you doing here?" He snaps.

"I w-w-wanted to meet E-E-Ethan." She struggles to say.

"No. This can't be happening. You can't be here."

"P-p-please, Stephen."

"It's Cal."

Just then the curtains drew back and Charlie enters. Cal turns towards him handing him the file.

"You deal with her. Ethan can't find out like this." Cal tells Charlie.

Before Charlie can answer Cal walks over leaving Charlie to deal with his patient. Charlie watches as Cal walks off, he then turns to Emilie.

"Sorry about that. It's just that Cal hasn't told Ethan about you. Well he has but, not about your condition. "

"S-s-see I told h-him it would h-h-have been better i-i-if he never k-k-k-knew. Now they'll o-o-only end u-u-up worrying about when and i-i-if they a-a-a-re going t-t-to get the d-d-disease." Emilie said.

"But, Cal's right. They needed to know. If something happened to either of them, doctors need their full medical history including any hereditary diseases."

"I w-w-wanted to s-s-spare them b-b-both."

In the staffroom Cal paces up and down. Thinking about how he can transfer Emilie without Ethan finding out she's here. He nearly jumps when he hears the door opening. Relieved it's only Lily Cal goes back to thinking about how to deal with the situation he's in. Inspiration suddenly strikes.

"Lily," He calls. "You haven't seen Ethan, have you?"

"No." comes a blunt reply.

"Well, if you do happen to see him, can you please tell him not to come to cubicle 5."

"Why not?" Lily asks raising her eyebrows.

"Uh..." Cal tries to come up with a good excuse. "I'm surprising him."

Lily doesn't seem to convince with his answer but, just nods. Cal heads backs to his patient and draws back the curtain. He is met with a surprise.


	3. Chapter 3

Charlie is holding an oxygen mask over Emilie's face and beside her checking her vitals stands Ethan, his stethoscope against her chest. Ethan turns around.

"Ah, Cal. I assume this is your patient."

Cal struggles to find his words.

"This is your patient, isn't it?" Ethan asks again.

"Uh, yes. She is, Ethan."

Cal sees Emilie look at him then at Ethan. She pulls the mask away from her face.

"I-is this E-Ethan?" She asks.

"Um, yes it is." Cal replies worried about what she's going to say.

"It's a-a-a- pleasure t-to f-f-finally meet y-y-you." She says to Ethan holding out her hand.

"What is she talking about?" Ethan asks looking back to his brother.

Cal nervously pulls his brother away.

"Nothing. She's just confused that's all.""No, I'm not." Emilie tries to say as Cal tries to pull Ethan away. "Just tell him! Stephen, tell him." Emilie forgets to call Cal by his adoptive name and so when she calls him 'Stephen' Ethan suddenly understands his brother isn't being honest with him. He shrugs Cal off him and faces him.

"Stephen? Why did she call you 'Stephen' if she's not confused? What aren't you telling me, Cal."

Cal opens his mouth to answer him, but Ethan cuts him off.

"Don't give your 'it's nothing' speech. I know you. I can tell when you're not telling me the truth."

"Ha, like you always tell me the truth!" Cal snaps back.

Ethan looks like he's about to it him. But, he doesn't.

"Since when have I ever lied to you?" He questions.

Cal sighs.

"Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"That it was. Now just tell me what's going on. Why did she call you 'Stephen'?" Ethan asks again.

Cal looks to Charlie, who gives him the look of 'you're going to have to tell him'. Nodding, Cal does.

"She's our birth mother."

When he answers, Cal expects Ethan to say something but, he doesn't. Instead he just turns and quickly walks out of cubicles. Cal follows him and soon finds him in the staffroom. He closes the door behind him to give them some privacy.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

Ethan doesn't answer again. He just places his hands on his both his knees, bent over and breathing fast. Cal attempts to place a hand on his shoulder to steady him, but Ethan backs away.

"Don't touch me." He says through gritted teeth.

Steadying his breathing, Ethan stands back up and places a hand upon the counter still feeling a little dizzy.

"So you've lied to me again."

"I haven't." Cal says hoping Ethan hasn't figured out about their mother's illness.

"For goodness sakes, Cal! She's got Huntington's." Ethan shouted.

"I don't know what you're..."

"Oh, please." Ethan says rolling his eyes. "Don't treat me like a child. I know the symptoms. And she has them!"

"Ethan, please." Cal begs.

"No. Don't tell you were going to tell me. That's all you've said so far. What else haven't you told me?" Ethan snaps back, his anger getting the better of him.

"Nothing. Honestly."

"Are you sure? Because the last time you said that I find out about this." He replies referring to their argument.

"I promise, Ethan. This is the last piece of news I have to tell you."

"Fine. And just if you hadn't realised, you do know that if she is our birth mum, there is a chance that either one has inherited the gene."

"Of course, I know that!" Cal shouts. "That's why I didn't tell before. When I found out that she had the illness I was scared for us. Scared for you."

"So you were trying to protect me, is that?"

"Yes." Cal replies attempting to get Ethan to understand.

"It's about you, Cal. It's always about you.' Ethan says firmly pointing a finger in his brother's face.

Before Cal has time to respond Ethan lunges himself at him and grabs his shirt. Cal grabs his arms in an attempt to pull Ethan off him. It comes to no use and the two of them start fighting. Well, Ethan starts fighting, Cal just tries to stop Ethan from hurting him or himself.

"Ethan, will you stop it!" Cal demands as he pulls him away.

Ethan doesn't stop, he continues to push Cal further away. Cal knows he's the stronger one out the two of them so before Ethan can do anymore damage Cal has him pinned up against the lockers.

"Ethan, STOP!" Cal yells.

Finally, Ethan calms down, his breathing fast. He struggles against Cal's grip, but he doesn't budge.

"Why do you always have to this? Why do you always have to run away from your problems instead of facing them?" Ethan says.

"And what problems would they be?"

"You can't tell me things. That's what. You never let me in. You always keep your problems to yourself and then when the situation gets tough, you run. Why don't you ever let me in?" Ethan asks, his voice cracking a bit.

"You want to know why I don't ever let you in?" Cal says angrily. "Do you?"

Ethan nods.

"It's because I'm scared I'll lose you."

Cal's last few words hit home. And Ethan realised just how much Cal cared for him. For all their arguments and the amount of teasing Ethan had endured from his brother over the years, it never got in the way of Cal's love for him. Ethan careful placed a hand against Cal's chest and gently pushed him away.

"Is that true?" Ethan inquires barely audible.


	4. Chapter 4

Cal looked at him with hurt in his eyes. The fact Ethan didn't believe him cut through Cal's heart like a knife. How could his brother think he didn't care about him?

"Why would I lie about something like that?" Cal asks his voice cracking. "I mean yes, there have been times when I have lied, but I would never lie about loving you. You're my brother, Ethan and no matter what I've done I'll always love you. You should know that."

"Then why did you lie to me?" He asks walking away again.

"I told you. I was scared I'll lose you."

Ethan turned to face him.

"You'll never lose me, Cal." Ethan states. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. I guess I was scared by the fact that if we weren't real brothers you wouldn't want anything to do with me."

"Oh, Cal. Even if it was revealed we weren't real brothers, it wouldn't matter to me. To me you'll always be my big brother."

Ethan walks over and wraps his arms around his brother's neck. Cal sighs and embraces him back. He smiles against Ethan's blonde hair.

"I love you." Cal whispers.


End file.
